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Abbott Elementary (Quinta Brunson, Hulu 2021-) is the latest installment in mockumentary television that provides originality and stands out on its own by highlighting a primarily Black-led cast and transferring us to a world about teaching at a public elementary school through humor, drama, and reliability. So, today’s lesson is all about why Abbott Elementary should be next on your watch list.
The Return Of Mockumentary Format In Abbott Elementary
As far as mockumentary television shows, we have had a series of shows that each had their own setting or theme that made them stand out on their own. For The Office, we had a paper company set in Scranton, Pennsylvania; for Parks and Recreation we had Leslie Knope and her fellow community of Pawnee, Indiana; and the latest mockumentary show to take the screen was What We Do In The Shadows, which showed us how vampires manage life in Staten Island, New York. Each of these shows utilized the mockumentary format to successfully tell unique and comedic stories.
Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary takes on the mockumentary style and tells the tale of a group of determined Black and White teachers under a public school system and the problems they face on everyday and school-day basis. Problems can range from a lack of proper resources for students to properly conduct their studies, to environmental issues such as a power outage, and finally, a principal who cares more about her own image than the students and teachers who work and attend Abbott Elementary.
Black Leads In A Mockumentary
What makes Abbott Elementary stand out is its Black leads, who provide a new perspective on teachers and school attendees, unlike its predecessors. Of the shows mentioned, Black characters were not necessarily the highlights and did not take on as much screen time as your Leslie Knope’s or Michael Scott’s. The leads for Abbott Elementary consist of Quinta Brunson as Ms. Teagues, Sharyl Lee Ralph as Mrs. Howard, Janelle James as Principal Coleman, Tyler James Williams as Substitute Gregory, and William Stanford Davis as custodian Mr. Johnson. The show still features White leads including Lisa Ann Walter as Ms. Schemmenti and Chris Perfetti as Mr. Hill who are also teachers at Abbott Elementary.
While the show also has white leads in its cast, its Black cast is at the forefront. With these leads, the show embraces the experience a student in West Philadelphia would have. As Quinta Brunson stated in an interview with Education Week:
“In my world of this show, naturally, the majority of the cast is Black, because that’s just kind of true to a school in West Philadelphia, where the majority of my teachers were Black teachers. And I kind of didn’t even realize that wasn’t the norm when I was a kid. I wasn’t thinking about what the norm was for other people. But that was my normal.”
(( Najarro, Ileana. “A Q&A With ‘Abbott Elementary’ Star Quinta Brunson: ‘Who Are We without Teachers?’.” Education Week, 8 Feb. 2022. ))
While the casting was not necessarily intentional in terms of race, it was meant to be authentic to her own experiences while still shedding a light on Black representation. Co-star Tyler James Williams also highlighted the importance of teacher representation on the show in an interview with The Root.
“But in the role I saw an opportunity to bring voice to Black, male educators, and particularly Black men and encourage, represent, acknowledge and validate the experience of the Black man rearing the next generation—whether it be educationally or just in everyday life. I think we don’t talk about that enough or validate it and when we do: we do it in a way that’s very hyper-focused and it seems like it’s rare.”
(( Genai, Shanelle. “Everybody Loves Abbott Elementary’s Tyler James Williams and Rightfully So’.” The Root, 17 Jan. 2022. ))
Abbott Elementary Tackles Serious Issues (With A Comedic Twist)
In school settings, there are many vital connections that have to be built to create student success and also positive relationships among students, parents, and teachers. Abbott Elementary acknowledges building parent-to-teacher relationships and their importance. Of the six episodes that have aired, the series has tackled lack of school supplies, random power outages, outdated textbooks, issues with having a gifted program. The situations sometimes come off as bittersweet, especially since the teachers are doing their best to help aid their students.
With the show not shying away with serious issues that underfunded public schools may face, the audience is clearly presented with real issues in a manner that is comedic and enlightening. By doing this there are lessons and takeaways with each episode making the series more than just your typical sitcom. The way these situations play out does not feel like a paid-for public service announcement but instead, comes off as genuine and keeps you engaged to see what these teachers will face next. This format also helps highlight that the teachers at Abbott Elementary aren’t only teachers, but also have regular lives outside of caring for the children they are teaching.
Authenticity And Relatability
In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Brunson mentioned that the inspiration for the show came from her mother, Norma Jean Brunson, who had a 40-year-old career teaching through the Philadelphia public school district. With Brunson having her own mother as a resource along with her own personal experiences attending school in West Philadelphia, we are given a sitcom with some accuracy to real-life scenarios.
Now, while I did not attend school on the East Coast, I still could relate to having a Principal Coleman at my school who would put her own image over the needs of students. Coincidentally enough, two of the writers on the show are former teachers of LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) which opens up the possibility of why the show is so open to relatability. Along with possibly relating to having an irresponsible principal lead their school, audiences can all connect to the show and the idea of attending school with likable teachers and or seeing themselves in some of the students who attend Abbott.
Some instances of the staff in Abbot Elementary tirelessly trying to provide an education for their students despite the many obstacles include Ms. Teagues (Quinta Brunson) teaching her children American history from an outdated textbook, and her having to tape in pictures of the most recent presidents in order to teach her students. As well as her having to handle ‘troublemaker’ students who can turn the whole class against her. These are some of many things many teachers can relate to and one of the best parts of Abbott Elementary as it captures the experiences of the people who’ve lived in these positions.
Your Next Assignment: Give Abbott Elementary A Chance
This is not the first time Quinta Brunson has taken a stab at the mockumentary style as she previously wrote a web series titled Up For Adoption, which focused on women workers in a fictional cat rescue center Petz One Saturday Adoption and shows her knowledge of the genre. If you can give a show about a paper company from Pennsylvania a chance, why not give one to a show about teachers and their students in Abbott Elementary? Once you’ve given it a shot you’ll know that class is officially back in session.
To watch, Abbott Elementary is currently available on Hulu and airs every Tuesday on ABC at 9 p.m. EST.
